Monday, October 07, 2013

O God, our refuge and strength,
the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your
Church. Grant that those things which we
ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.

Genesis
8:20-22 (From the Daily Bible Story Lectionary)

20 Then Noah
built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of
every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the
pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again cursethe ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from
his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I
have done. 22 While the earth
remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night,
shall not cease."

Catechism: The Creed—The Second Article

What is the First Article?

And (I
believe) in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy
Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from
the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father
Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean?

I
believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and
also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord,

who
has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all
sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but
with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,

that I
may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting
righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,

just
as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

This
is most certainly true.

Devotion

In the name of T Jesus.

Global warming or not, until Jesus returns to judge the
living and the dead, the earth will remain.
While this doesn’t do much to feed the post-apocalyptic movie industry,
it does much to comfort the children of God.

Will it be an asteroid that brings our world to an
end? Or how about an alien attack? Zombies seem to be the latest, most popular manifestation
of mankind’s preoccupation with the end of the world. But the promise remains: “While the
earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and
night, shall not cease." Did you catch that?
While the earth remains the season, and all that comes with them, will not
cease to remain.

Of course, this broken world will come to an end. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trumpet, when Jesus returns in glory, this broken world will be burned
away, and the Lord will bring the new creation, the new heavens and new
earth. But that’s not a day to fear; it’s
a day to look forward to with great anticipation. For if Christ has been raised from the dead—and
He has!!—then all who believe in Him will be raised. Jesus is the firstfruits, the rest of us are
the harvest!

And until then, the Father who created us, will preserve
us, in this world.

In the name of T Jesus. Amen.

Prayer

Thank You, gracious Lord, for preserving, and providing,
and protecting Your creation. By Your
promise, give us faith to trust, and the hope of the coming new creation; through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Daily Prayer (For Monday)

We pray…for faith to live in the promises of Holy
Baptism; for one’s calling and daily work; for the unemployed; for the
salvation and well-being of our neighbors; for schools, colleges, and
seminaries; for good government and for peace.